


Angst and Artifice

by missigma



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Pride and Prejudice, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Brief mention of homophobia, Enemies to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Sex Toys, Side character Byun Baekhyun, Tech entrepreneur AU, attempted seduction for material benefit?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:07:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missigma/pseuds/missigma
Summary: Kim Jongin has an incredible chance to obtain an investment in his new startup company. The only catch is he has to play nice with rising tech superstar Oh Sehun to get it.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 8
Kudos: 115
Collections: Swords and Hearts 2020





	Angst and Artifice

**Author's Note:**

> **Code:** SAH046  
>  **Prompt:** Modern-day Pride and Prejudice AU, where one is a cocky heir to a tech empire and the other is a rising entrepreneur who would rather die than charm him - even if it is for the sake of his career.  
>  **Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction and none of the characters are owned by Swords and Hearts. All creative rights and ownership of this particular work of fiction lie with the respective authors.**
> 
> **Author's Note:** As always, things never go exactly as planned. I hope this is close enough to please you.

"You want me to what?"

Jongin stops dead in the middle of their overcrowded office, rounding on his longtime business partner with a dangerous glare.

Baekhyun continues unfazed."Oh Sehun is looking to invest in startups like ours. I was sent an invitation to the afterparty for the launch of their new product. I want you to go with me."

"No."

"Jongin, I know you don't like him, but--"

"And you know why I don't like him."

"I do, but--"

"Then you understand why I won't take his money."

"I don't," Jongdae cuts in from his seat halfway across the room.

Jongin glowers at him next. "He's a rich prick who hired my friend, stole his idea, then fired him."

"Jongin," Baekhyun holds up a hand to placate him. "I understand the principle, but unfortunately we can't afford to pass up on an opportunity like this." Though Jongin's jaw tenses, Baekhyun forges ahead. "You'll need to spend time with him, you'll need to be nice to him, and you're going to need to get used to doing things you don't necessarily want to do."

Jongin squints at him, "Are you trying to tell me to sleep with him?"

"What? No." Baekhyun sputters. "Though it might help. Are you volunteering?"

Before Jongin can voice his distaste, Jongdae breaks in. "He's just saying you at least need to play nice."

"Right, while we see if we can get him to buy in. You can do whatever you want afterwards. Well, within reason."

"I can't believe you're asking me to do this."

"Jongin, please?"

Jongin bites his tongue.

***

Sehun's age is one of the many, many things that annoys Jongin.

It would be easier, of course, to accept Sehun's success and influence if he had years of experience. Jongin imagines some of the other rising stars of the industry, all thirty or older.

But no, Sehun is younger than him. That fact draws out of his insecurities and reminds him of all the things he should do better. And it awakens the hopeless, useless thought that he'd be closer to his goal if he'd just started earlier

It must be nice to be handed everything you need to build your own business, to have no limit to your resources or connections. You just need to have the sense to come up with a decent concept, or if you fail to even have that spark, hire someone to do it for you.

Lacking Sehun's rich parentage, Jongin is left to grovel. He shuffles through the broad ballroom reserved for Sehun's fete, waiting alone for the host to appear. Baekhyun left his side early after his attempts at humor failed to cheer him.

Jongin swallows. He has never felt quite this bitter before. He always appreciates the intermingled camaraderie and competition between himself and his fellow developers. He enjoys sharing his ideas with others, the pitch, the dream. But tonight he has no interest in their company.

It's Sehun who's ruining that for him. Everything seems cheapened by his presence.

It's embarrassing in a way to admit he's never actually met the man he's positioned as his rival. Jongin's seen him before of course, while volunteering at a local hackathon and at a few networking events. But they've never spoken and have never been formally introduced.

A murmur rising through the crowd announces Sehun's entrance. Jongin attempts to ignore it, but in spite of himself he turns to see him at the closest entrance to the ballroom.

At first, it's impossible to see him, surrounded by a crush of guests. Then the crowd parts and Jongin catches sight of him. His well-tailored jacket compliments his build, tall and broad-shouldered.

A woman is at his side, clad in a cocktail dress. She stands close to Sehun, smiling as she's introduced. Jongin doesn't recognize her.

He can't help but compare his own clothes. He's put effort in, dressing in his best jeans and a button-down. But it's apparent, even to the untrained eye that they're cheap and ill-fitting. He swallows and looks down. No matter how hard he tries to fit in here, that will still always mark him as an outsider.

Baekhyun is nowhere to be seen as Sehun wends his way towards Jongin, making his introductions. Jongin curses him. He doesn't want to have to do this alone.

Regardless, he pastes on a smile as Sehun approaches. Jongin bows and Sehun offers a hand. Then Sehun bows and Jongin takes his hand, the moment of awkwardness throwing them both off. For a second, Jongin fears his own smile might be genuine, if mainly due to nerves.

They exchange names despite the fact no one would be here if not to meet Sehun.

"Sehun."

"Jongin."

He thinks Sehun's eyes drop to his lips, just for a second. Or maybe he's imagining it.

"I read your dev diary blog."

Jongin blinks. "You do?"

"Yeah, I've been following since last November--" Sehun cuts himself off as his date moves on. "Sorry, we can talk later," he tells Jongin before being swept up in the crowd again.

***

Again, Jongin is left alone to his thoughts with only a presumably empty promise to placate him. And even if they do speak again "playing nice" will be dull and tediously slow. Jongin can't help but try to think of a shortcut, an easy path even if there's no potential there.

It's a shame, Jongin thinks, that Oh Sehun doesn't like men. If he did, this would be easy. Just enough flirting, maybe a few hookups, and Jongin could have the bastard wrapped around his finger.

As soon as the thought crosses his mind, he hates himself for it. He feels dirty for even considering the possibility of trading affections for his career. And if that alone weren't enough to dissuade him, the fact it is Sehun who he'd have to woo...

Despite himself, an image floats behind his eyelids. It's too easy to imagine how he might be able to charm Sehun, to see a hint of that false charm turned his direction. Jongin can see himself leaning into him, returning that smile. He would have to smile with him, touch him, perhaps more, and the thought makes him feel ugly inside.

Wincing, he shuts down that line of thought. But that resolution doesn't last and the thought continues to haunt him.

***

"Where'd he go?" Baekhyun predictably re-appears long after Sehun is gone.

"Already left. Probably fucking that woman he was with."

Baekhyun snorts. "No, he's not."

"How do you know?"

"He's gay."

"Wait really?" Then again: "How do you know?"

"We went to the same school, remember? How do you think I got invited here?" Baekhyun shakes his head. "Anyways, it's not a secret."

Secret or not, it was news to Jongin.

***

The email comes out of the blue, from Oh Sehun himself. Jongin checks and double checks the sender before accepting that it's probably not a phishing attempt and opens it.

It's an invitation to a series of workshops, all courtesy of Sehun's company. There's promises of regular interaction with CEO Oh Sehun himself, as well as hints that he's looking for a startup to invest in. It's another step towards what exactly they need.

Perhaps it's not entirely unexpected. After all, Jongin's startup is everything that Sehun claims to be interested in. And this is all according to Baekhyun's plan.

Jongin accepts the invitation without further hesitation.

***

Only half a week in, he regrets the decision.

Jongin really shouldn't have been surprised that the workshop hadn't delivered on its promises. He should be used to the company's promotions outweighing any real value, not to mention the endless self-promotions of fellow attendees.

After a few days of repetitive presentations and frustratingly little contact with Sehun himself, a dark and dirty thought rises to the forefront again. Jongin could of course try seduction as another means of persuasion. He'd hardly be the first to trade charms for his place in the industry.

Jongin knows the effect he has on people. It's been a distraction in his professional life before as different men and women patronized his company in hopes he would return their affections. Some have gone far enough to proposition him, implying he could receive gifts of influence and capital for his time.

He's always dismissed those attempts before, letting them down gently when he can. He has never wanted to attribute his success to anything other than the merits of his own ideas and hard work and has never wanted to let that pride be tarnished.

And yet, he's still considering this.

Now he is almost certain Sehun finds him attractive, which makes the tactic that much more tempting. It gives him an opening, a hope that this foolish idea might just work.

He could test the waters, just to see.

***

The plan is easy enough. He'll ask Sehun to get coffee with him next time he ducks into the little conference room filled with entrepreneurs, and tell him he wants help with a pitch he's going to make. And Sehun will agree because it's all very real and businesslike. But that will finally get him time one on one with him, in a situation that in another context could be seen as a date.

"Hey, Sehun." Jongin snags him first thing in the morning.

"Yes?"

"I'm working on a pitch for an investor. Would you mind reviewing it with me? We can get coffee later."

"Sure," Sehun agrees without question. Easy.

It's once he's seated in the cafe, latte steaming in front of him, that he realizes all the flaws in his plan. The most obvious is that he's been considering that it's guaranteed that Sehun would reciprocate his affections. And it's not guaranteed.

What if Sehun rejects him on the basis of professionalism?

What if Baekhyun is wrong and Sehun doesn't actually like men?

What if Sehun is already dating someone?

Fucking what if?

"You alright?" Sehun catches him staring into his mug.

With a jolt, Jongin straightens, forcing a smile. Of course it would be now that Sehun would show up, just when he was in the middle of talking himself out of this terrible, terrible idea.

"Fine," he takes a cautious sip, watching Sehun pull out his chair. "Just thinking."

"You had something you wanted to talk about?" Sehun prompts.

"Right." Jongin curses himself. He reaches for his laptop, belatedly realizing he should have thought to set up before Sehun arrived. But Sehun waits patiently as he logs in.

While he lays out his pitch, he prises pieces of information from Sehun, trading them for smiles. Eventually, he passes the laptop over for Sehun to review his slides. Though he may never be fully comfortable with making conversation like this, it's much easier than Jongin had expected.

It helps of course that Sehun is attractive. Objectively so. Jongin doesn't need to like the man much to see it. He's not difficult to look at, not hard to imagine himself bedding him, from a purely physical standpoint of course.

Maybe, if Sehun were anyone else, they could have been something more. Maybe he would have wanted that, but right now--

Right now, Jongin wants his mouth on Sehun's cock.

He blinks, almost surprised at himself for the sudden lewd turn of his thoughts. But the fantasy proves to be impossible to stop as his mind supplies him with the image of Sehun leaning on the table, arms braced behind him.

Jongin inhales suddenly. Sehun glances at him, seeming concerned though he says nothing of it. Instead he returns to pouring over his presentation. And that gives Jongin chance to sink back into his thoughts.

He's given blowjobs before and would like to think he's good at it. At the very least, his partners seemed to enjoy themselves, raining rapturous praise on him as he knelt at their feet.

Jongin enjoys the act himself, likes giving pleasure. The control he has to wring out orgasms with his mouth and his hands, to watch his partner's reactions as they fall apart under his lips. And the juxtaposition of that control verses his own position, on his knees and submissive. He gets off on it.

Yet, he's not sure he's ever fantasized about the act much before. Never wanted it quite so bad.

Swallowing hard, he finally tamps down his roaming thoughts and regains his composure. Somewhat guiltily, he returns his attention to Sehun.

It proves impossible to keep the thought at bay for long.

***

The first week of workshops ends with a party at an upscale brewery. Networking, they call it, though everyone has had a few too many drinks to pretend this is strictly business. Though he makes small talk, Jongin is only here for one person.

"Hey," Sehun greets him with a small smile, seeming a little hesitant. Jongin wonders if his behavior at the coffee shop is to blame.

"Hey," he returns the greeting, smiling wide enough to show his teeth. If Sehun can tell the expression isn't genuine, he doesn't show it. Instead he seems a little relieved, shoulders visibly relaxing.

Jongin allows his hand to brush along the back of Sehun's knuckles as he takes the offered drink. He's not sure if Sehun notices the deliberateness of his touch, but he does hold his gaze for a second longer.

"You know, for a while I thought you hated me."

"Really?" Jongin tries to act surprised, as if he has no idea how Sehun might have come to that conclusion. He feels somewhat ashamed. Had he been that transparent?

Sehun laughs, seeming embarrassed. "Yeah, I don't know." He takes another swallow of his drink. "It was just something about the way you looked at me. But now..." he trails off.

Jongin almost wishes he would continue. How does Sehun think he looks at him now, what does he see in his eyes? Has he been convincing in his fawning over him, or have his seductive looks been misread?

Sehun doesn't continue the thought, but he does meet Jongin's eyes. His face is far more open than Jongin has seen it before, for once he's easy to read, forehead smooth and eyes open wide. He seems hesitant, almost shy. So perhaps Jongin's act has worked on him.

Jongin thinks he should feel proud of himself, but he doesn't. Something about the guileless hope of Sehun's expression makes him feel guilty.

And this hasn't felt like an act. It hasn't been as hard as he thought, at least not within the past week, to smile at him, to flirt. Sehun, despite Jongin knows about him, has been nothing but pleasant, polite, likable. It's profoundly confusing.

"Now what?" Jongin prompts, because he's desperate to know where this is leading.

Sehun quirks his lips into a smirk. "Now you always look like you're undressing me with your eyes."

Jongin flushes, jerking back. Fuck, was he always so transparent? There's already a denial on his lips, but he can't quite get it out because Sehun is still smirking. He's teasing, sure, but there's nothing malicious about his expression.

So Jongin stares at him, speechless and embarrassed. Here he had tried to seduce Sehun and instead came out as the one seeming infatuated. He swallows, trying to reassure himself. It shouldn't matter, as long as it had the desired effect.

And Sehun hasn't moved away from him, hasn't laughed at him. That playful smirk has faded though as now he leans forward, hand resting at Jongin's hip.

"Hey." Sehun presses close to him, lips at his ear. "Can we leave?"

There it is, finally. The opening Jongin's been waiting for. So he surprises himself when he hesitates, though he finds Sehun's elbow and grips at it to keep him close.

Despite what he might lack in other arenas, Sehun is respectful here. Jongin knows he won't push him, knows that for once there are no strings attached, not from Sehun's side at least.

Still, it's a bad idea, the start to something that could fuck up his business chances far worse than a bad attitude ever could. It's hard to dwell on that too much with the booze already making his head light.

"Yeah, let's go."

***

They go to Sehun's place. Even if Jongin thinks he's ready for this, ready for sex with him, he's not ready to have Sehun in his apartment.

Anyways, the trip is shorter as they fold themselves into the back of a car nicer than the average rideshare. Sehun rests his hand on Jongin's thigh, squeezing as they pull away from the bar. Jongin covers his hand with his own, tracing gentle circles along his skin with his thumb.

For once, Jongin doesn't have time for comparisons when they get inside Sehun's apartment. He knows it's expensive, has no doubt it's furnished in luxury, but that doesn't matter because he already knows what he wants to do.

Sehun seems to have ideas too, his hand dipping from its respectful place at his lower back to squeeze at his ass. Jongin's glad he doesn't try to kiss him. Sehun is willing enough to let him lead, and seems happy that way as Jongin presses him against the wall.

Jongin angles his knee between Sehun's thighs and up, putting pressure on his cock and he's pleased to find he's half-hard. Pinning Sehun's shoulder against the wall with one hand he allows the other to slide down his chest before he finally closes his hand over Sehun's cock, still disappointingly covered by his clothes.

Leaning closer, Jongin opts to pin him with his shoulder. Now with both hands free, he can work the front of his jeans open. Jongin bows his head, pressing his face into Sehun's shoulder as he dips his hand down the front of his jeans.

Jongin hums to himself as he takes the satisfying weight of his cock in his hand. He gives him a few strokes, smiling as Sehun pushes into his touch.

"I want you in my mouth," Jongin confesses, still pumping his cock in his fist, pace far too languid to please him.

Sehun groans in what sounds to be wordless assent. He has both hands on Jongin's ass now, kneading at him. But he releases him as soon as Jongin begins to lower himself to his knees.

Once at his feet, Jongin presses a line of kisses along his hip, culminating a messy kiss to the underside of his cock. He pulls Sehun's jeans and boxer-briefs down his thighs as he does, leaving them tangled around his knees.

Jongin wraps his hand around Sehun's cock. He smirks as Sehun presses his hips against his fist and glances up at him.

He lowers his eyes again, still stroking him steadily, to roll his balls on his tongue and tug lightly at his sac. He's pleased by the groan that gets him and the sudden heavy hand Sehun rests on the back of his neck.

But Sehun's shirt is getting in his way. From his knees, Jongin runs his hand up the flat plane of Sehun's abs, fingers sliding under his shirt. Sehun gets the point and pulls the shirt over his head. Jongin takes a moment to assess him.

Above, Sehun's face is flushed. Jongin's pleased he already has him panting and eager for more. Holding his gaze, he dips back in to tongue at the crown of his cock, then he closes his mouth around him.

Bobbing on his cock, he sinks further and further down his shaft. He wants to take as much of Sehun as he can, show him how good he is. However, his own skills aren't quite up to that.

The head of Sehun's cock bumps against the back of his throat and Jongin gags. He's forced to pull off, swallowing hard as he does. This is harder than he remembered, but it doesn't bring him any closer to wanting to stop. He blots his watering eyes with the back of his hand and pauses to catch his breath.

Sehun sinks his thumb between Jongin's parted lips. Jongin sucks at the digit, still working his fist over Sehun's cock. "It's like your mouth was made for this."

Jongin enjoys the thought, the idea that his mouth was made simply for Sehun. For him to get off, for him to use. He pulls away from Sehun's hand with a pop and a wicked smile. "Maybe it is."

He sinks down on Sehun's cock again, careful and slow this time as the head of his cock nears the back of his throat. He bobs his head, drawing back to sink further down still, until he feels his gag reflex threatening again.

Pressing Sehun's hips against the wall, Jongin swallows around him, throat working to accommodate his girth. Sehun moans and threads his fingers through Jongin's hair. His thighs shake as he holds himself back from thrusting straight down Jongin's throat.

Jongin groans, squeezing at himself. The pressure of his own cock against the tight confines of his jeans proves to be too much to bear. He releases his grip on Sehun to clumsily draw open his own fly, finally allowing his cock some relief.

Holding his gaze, Jongin leans back until his length nearly pops free from his mouth, before swallowing down as much of him as he can all over again. He's able to move a little faster now, growing accustomed to the discomfort of his cock at the back of his throat.

It's wet and messy and Sehun seems to love it. His moans grow more frequent as Jongin works him up to the brink.

Sehun's fingers tighten in his hair. "Jongin," Sehun warns him and Jongin closes his mouth around his cock, allowing him to come on his tongue. After lapping the last remaining taste from his cock, he sits back on his heels and swallows.

Leaning hard against the wall, Sehun untangles his hands from his hair. He's staring at Jongin, expression unreadable, and Jongin doesn't know what to feel. His knees hurt from being pressed too long against the hardwood floor and he's hard, erection still half-trapped in his jeans.

Sehun stares at him for a moment longer. Jongin wonders what he sees in him. An easy hookup? A desperate slut?

"Fuck," Sehun breathes, running a hand through his hair. "Fuck you're incredible." He curls his fingers around the corner of Jongin's jaw, thumb running along the slick curves of his lips.

Jongin leans into his hand, eager for any kind of touch. He still has his hand at his own cock, squeezing at himself. Sehun's eyes travel down to his hand. "Come here."

When he's halfway to his feet, Sehun takes him in his arms, guiding him from the entryway. He steps out of his remaining clothes as he does. Jongin doesn't have time to glance behind him before Sehun presses him down on a couch, Jongin's back curving as he tries to adjust to the sudden change in position.

He stares up at Sehun, who is now entirely nude. Jongin regrets that this is his first time seeing him like this. He had known that underneath the suits he had always seen him in Sehun was well-built, but to finally be able to see him, skin stretched taut over gorgeous muscle, is something to behold.

He's more than a little shocked when Sehun kisses him, licking into his mouth between his loosely parted lips. The kiss is filthy, made messier by the drying saliva on his chin, but Sehun doesn't seem to notice. He breaks only from the kisses to make slow progress at pulling Jongin's jeans and boxer-briefs down his thighs.

"I want to get you off too." He keeps his lips near Jongin's ear, voice a reassuring whisper. Jongin toes off his shoes and lifts his hips to allow him to pull off his trousers.

Rid of the constriction, Jongin allows his legs to fall open. Sehun kneels between them, his hands curling around the sharp corners of Jongin's hips. He leans in to Jongin, lining the ridge of his hip with kisses as his hands shift down to his thighs.

Jongin groans as he finally wraps his hand around his cock, trying and failing to keep himself from thrusting into his touch. However, for the moment, it remains just that, a touch and a slight squeeze as Sehun's attention seems to focus elsewhere.

He hikes up Jongin's shirt until it's bunched uncomfortably under his armpits. Lifting himself up, Jongin tugs it off before leaning back against the cushions.

He's not sure whether he regrets it when Sehun stops to stare at him. His eyes slide down his body, taking in his messy hair, reddened lips, his smooth skin now drenched with sweat, the bare lines of his musculature, down to his cock, as red and wet as his lips.

Jongin swallows, tilts his head back. He curls his hands into loose fists, barely able to restrain himself from touching his cock. And he can't do this now, he can't lay here and wait for Sehun to take his time. He's been achingly hard for far too long and he doesn't think he can wait much longer. "Sehun," he pants, near pleading.

"Sorry," Sehun laughs warmly, leaning back in. "I just don't think I've ever seen anyone as gorgeous as you." He immediately takes Jongin's cock in his hand, giving him firm, fast strokes.

Jongin moans at a particular twist of his wrist, then again when Sehun repeats the motion. Sehun presses their lips together, though Jongin is panting, open-mouthed.

He comes shuddering in Sehun's arms. Warm and content, Jongin closes his eyes. He sinks deep into the couch as the tension seeps from his body.

Sehun kisses him tenderly before finally rising. Spent, Jongin pulls his legs up onto the couch, too tired to form any real curiosity about where he's gone to.

It's less than a minute before Sehun returns with a towel to clean him up. He wipes the mess away from Jongin's stomach, before discarding the towel and climbing back onto the couch with Jongin.

Sitting on the end of the couch he pulls Jongin into his lap.

He pulls a blanket down from the back of the couch and wraps it around them both. Jongin hums quietly to himself, tucking himself closer to Sehun's body.

Jongin can't decide if his post-orgasm haze wears off too quickly or not soon enough. Slowly, he becomes more aware of his surroundings as Sehun begins to drift off, picking out the expensive artwork on the walls, designer furniture, and the view of the glittering city below.

He doesn't belong here.

***

"Fuck." Jongin swears under his breath as soon as he shuts his apartment door behind him. Then again, "fuck."

As evenings went, this had been a disaster. He should have only spent a scant few hours at the bar, just enough to socialize and make a few introductions. The fact that Sehun had been there should have been an afterthought.

Though, he thought to himself, hadn't this been the plan all along? That he'd be willing to sleep with Sehun if that's what it took to win him over?

He had never thought it would come to that, of course, nor had he been sure he'd even carry out that plan. And it's a lie to say that was what tonight was. He didn't go home with Sehun for any ulterior motive, just sex.

Sehun had been good to him. He would have probably done far more if Jongin had it allowed it as he seemed eager to return the favor. He could have stayed longer, seen what else the night would bring him. Perhaps he might have even asked Sehun to fuck him.

Jongin squeezes his eyes shut. No, it had been good he had left when he did, before things could get any further out of control. As it is, he's already gained far more knowledge than he should have ever wanted to know about Sehun. Should have.

***

The next week of workshops is pure torture.

He has become more aware of Sehun now that he's shared some intimacy with him. Once he learned what Sehun looked like when Jongin swallowed down his cock, the sight became impossible to forget.

He needs a cold shower.

Jongin catches himself again as his eyes drift inappropriately. He needs to get out of here before this thoughts can wander any further. For once, he excuses himself early.

***

Jongin makes a beeline for his bed as soon as he makes it into his apartment, shedding his clothes on the way.

He groans in relief as he sinks two fingers inside himself, sprawling out on his mattress. Finally, his mind is free to wander and now that Jongin has intimate knowledge of Sehun, he can't help but use it.

It's impossible not to imagine what it would be like to have Sehun's cock inside him. And now he knows how big he is, he's measured him in his hands. He knows how wide he had stretched his lips open, can imagine what that would feel like inside him.

Fingers aren't enough now, he needs something more. He needs something to stretch him open, fill him like he needs to be filled.

Jongin fumbles through the drawer of his nightstand, withdrawing one of the toys he's experimented with before. It's a dildo, not particularly large, but not small, enough to give him a good stretch but not be intimidating.

It has a suction cup on its thick base, which he attaches to the side of his cheap, shiny dresser drawers. He pours some more lube over the toy, slicking it up and allowing himself to replay the memory of what it had felt like to stroke Sehun like this.

Satisfied with his preparations, Jongin shifts over onto his knees, chin braced on his arm. He reaches behind himself, lining the toy up with his ass before slowly shifting back.

"Mmnn," he bites his lip, smothering his moan. He pauses with it halfway inside him, panting. After a few deep breaths, he takes the rest, thighs trembling as his ass presses flush against the base.

From there, he starts a steady rhythm, rocking back onto the toy, then shifting forwards so far it nearly slips free from his ass.

He experiments with the angle of his hips, changing it with each thrust until the toy brushes along his prostate. He presses his face into his pillow, stifling a gasp. He circles his hips there, eager for more stimulation against that spot, before shifting forwards again.

He wraps a hand around his cock, pushing a little faster now. And fuck, this is good, though it does occur to him that Sehun is bigger than the toy. He imagines the extra stretch, the burn of it, and how good it would feel to have Sehun hold him in his arms with Jongin speared fully on his cock. He bites his lip and comes.

***

"Hey." Sehun catches him on the final day of workshops, a nervous smile on his lips.

A tiny rush of nerves prickles through Jongin, though he returns the greeting automatically. Is Sehun going to bring up last Friday? They've barely spoken since then, and certainly not anything more than was professional.

"You're going to the conference this weekend, right?"

"Yeah." Jongin hopes his reply comes out as he intends, easy, casual.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Jongin blinks. That wasn't the question he was expecting. He does have a cheap hotel room booked miles from the actual conference, but he's far more curious about Sehun's plans. "No," he lies.

"I have an apartment in San Francisco. You could stay there."

Jongin pretends to consider, as much for himself as for Sehun. He doesn't want to seem too eager. "I'd like that," he eventually assents.

"Good," Sehun smiles and Jongin wonders how he could get him to do that more often. Just smile at him. "I'll give you directions."

***

Sehun isn't there when Jongin arrives. He sends him an apology text, promises he'll be there by 9, and gives him the code to the door.

Hefting his overnight bag over his shoulder, Jongin slips inside.

Faced with the awkward prospect of being in an empty house without its owner, Jongin searches for a way to occupy himself. The bar at the outer edge of the kitchen affords him a seat in a neutral location.

When he opens his laptop, he's greeted with an ominous "Call me," from Baekhyun. Jongin squints at the time, mentally calculating how early in the morning it must be for him. 7:00 AM?

Frowning, he starts the call. Baekhyun picks up before the second ring. Though his eyes are shadowed, he looks more annoyed than exhausted. "Why is it only ever when you're offline that shit happens?"

Jongin ignores the complaint, probing instead, "What happened?" He's already combing through the team chat, trying to find the answer himself.

"Remember your friend?"

"What?" Jongin furrows his brow, half-distracted by the chat. So far he's only found a collection of links and a gif of a flaming dumpster. Out of context, neither are helpful.

"That friend," Baekhyun emphasizes the word with distaste, "who accused Sehun of stealing his idea?"

"Yes?" Jongin prompts impatiently.

"Read this." A second later, he drops a link in chat, then spins slightly in his chair.

Jongin opens the link, which directs him to a Medium article. "Fuck," he exhales as he scans down the page, reading piece by piece a detailed accusation that he himself had stolen intellectual property.

"Apparently, this is what he does now. He finds whatever the current hot item is and claims it was all his idea." Baekhyun pauses to take a drink. "Cool guy, isn't he?"

"Is anyone buying this?"

"Mostly no," Baekhyun smiles, though his expression remains sour. "It seems he's pulled the same stunt a few too many times."

"Okay," Jongin rubs a hand across his forehead.

"It's still been a bit busy. So if you don't mind, I need some help putting together a statement. And while you're at it, you might want to rethink your burning hatred of Sehun."

Jongin ducks his head, hoping the camera doesn't pick up the flush in his cheeks. However he nods, resigning himself to a hectic afternoon.

***

Jongin hears the door a bit after 8. He blinks rapidly, trying to restore some of the moisture to his eyes. The apartment has gone dark around him, lit only by the blue glow of his screen.

"Hey," Sehun flicks on a small lamp near the entryway, then drops his bag on the floor. He approaches cautiously, something that Jongin thinks might be worry on his face. "I heard about that article."

"You know it's not true, right?"

"Of course." Sehun nods slightly. "I just wonder if you needed anything."

Jongin slips off the stool, rubbing at his neck. Truthfully, there's been nothing to do for the past hour, other than to pour over comments and tweets, measuring who's winning the publicity war. "No." He closes his laptop.

"Have you had anything to eat?" Sehun continues as Jongin approaches him.

"I'm fine," Jongin assures him. "I just need a shower, then can we go to bed?"

***

"Bed" does not mean sleep for either of them, despite their overwhelming jetlag. It means tumbling through the sheets, filthy kisses, and relentless teasing before Jongin finally breaks down and begs Sehun to finger him.

"You're a liar." Sehun lays him out on his back, hands on his hips.

Jongin freezes, certain that Sehun has finally seen through him. But when he looks up, Sehun is smiling. "You've never done this before."

Exhaling, Jongin tries to slow his pounding heart. He's talking about sex.

"Hey," Sehun leans in, misreading his trepidation. "We don't have to do this."

Jongin bites his lip. Kissing Sehun proves to be a pleasant distraction for them both.

"Okay, so I've only ever done it with my fingers," Jongin admits when they part. "But I really want yours in my ass." His cheeks burn as he dares to glance up at Sehun.

"I'd like that."

"Lay on your stomach."

"I may also have some toys." Jongin picks up the half forgotten conversation. He's not sure why he admits that, but it's worth it for the curious smile and raised eyebrows he gets from Sehun.

"You'll have to show me sometime."

Jongin inhales as he feels Sehun's breath hot on the small of his back. He kisses him there, before moving down his spine.

Digging his thumbs into Jongin's ass he spreads him open. Jongin tenses as again he feels his breath, now ghosting just above his hole. He's still a little in shock, thinking to himself that no, Sehun isn't going to do what he thinks he is.

But he does, dipping the tip of his tongue to lick down his ass, stopping short of his hole. He licks deftly around it, his ministrations growing messier as he continues.

And fuck, Jongin never quite thought anyone would do this for him. He pants, sliding his knees apart to give him better access. Finally Sehun laps at his hole, tongue wet and hot as it swipes over sensitive flesh. Jongin whines.

Sehun presses the tip of his tongue into him and Jongin whimpers. "Sehun." He had no idea this would feel so good. Encouraged, Sehun repeats the motion. "Fuck."

Sehun kisses him there, tongue teasing his rim, then again, wet lips messy over his hole. As his tongue continues to work, he presses a finger to Jongin's hole, the length of it already coated in lube.

Jongin's open enough from Sehun's tongue that it's easy to take the slick finger. The usual burn accompanies it, but he's used to the sensation enough that he adapts easily. Knuckle deep inside him, Sehun brushes his thumb over his stretched rim.

He begins to pump the digit in and out of Jongin's body, thumb still teasing. Sehun adds another finger, and when Jongin takes it easily he twists his wrist and presses deep. Jongin gasps.

Then his fingers brush across his prostate. Now Jongin wails, pressing his face into the mattress. His arms shake.

Sehun turns his attention to the spot and Jongin begins to lose control. His arms fold beneath him and he sinks onto his forearms. His moans become embarrassingly loud, but he can't muster up the effort to stifle them.

Fuck. This is nothing like what stimulation he's been able to manage on his own. Sehun is good, he knows what he's doing, and Jongin can barely even think any more as Sehun continues to torment him.

"Good?" Sehun prompts with a hint of a smirk in his tone.

"Yes," Jongin pants. "Yes, so good I-"

Sehun removes his fingers. "Sehun!" Jongin nearly howls, even as he hears him open the bottle of lube again and knows what he's doing. "Please, please, I need-" He loses his train of thought as he grinds into the sheets.

In the spare moment he has, Jongin becomes aware of his position. He curves his back, arching up to present his ass to Sehun. He spreads his thighs wide, his arms lifted above his head. Maybe he should be ashamed, and maybe he will be later, but now he enjoys it, loves the idea of acting like this for Sehun.

Then instead of two fingers there are three. Jongin groans in relief. His legs nearly give out underneath him as he takes his own cock in his hand, fucking his fist in time with each thrust of Sehun's fingers.

"Sehun," he whines, before he comes with a cry. He shudders through his orgasm, back arching high, then collapses. Sehun peppers his shoulders with kisses as he gently slips his fingers free.

Jongin flops over onto his back. He stares up at Sehun, eyes quickly raking down his body to find his cock hard and leaking, though he's only halfway out of his jeans. "Use my mouth."

Eagerly, Sehun throws a leg across Jongin's chest, straddling him. He sinks his cock into his waiting mouth, too far gone to worry about anything more than fucking into the wet heat of Jongin's throat.

Sehun comes kneeling over Jongin, coating his lips and cheeks. He sighs as he withdraws, then leans down to press their foreheads together, their breath mingling as they come down from their high.

***

As the blissful afterglow fades, they settle into a comfortable conversation, curled up together in bed. It's then that Jongin is brave enough to broach a sensitive topic.

"Did your father fund your company?"

In the silences that follows, Jongin bites his tongue, frightened and mistrusting his own boldness. But he needs to know, now that he's had all his previous perceptions of Sehun turned upside down.

"That's what most people think," Sehun sighs. "I'm not going to pretend I didn't have a very privileged childhood. I did. And it's hard not to sound like an asshole if I complain, after the life he provided me."

"But I was on my own as soon as I hit eighteen. I didn't get anything from him."

"Why?"

Sehun's eyes flicker up to meet his as if he's weighing whether or not he should continue. Jongin reaches for his hand, drawing it into his lap and clasping his fingers around his wrist.

"He found out I was gay."

Jongin feels both sympathy and an odd, protective anger. He's reminded once again how lucky he's been in both his friends and family for them being accepting of his own sexuality.

"So I went out on my own. Made my own friends, put myself through college. It feels like it was as much luck as hard work sometimes that I was successful so early on." He smiles softly at Jongin. "Especially when I meet people like you. You work so hard, you're so talented, it's hard to understand why you haven't made it yet."

Jongin flushes. He thinks it may be one of the greatest compliments he's ever received, but as touched as he is, he can't help but return to Sehun's story.

"Have you told anyone this?"

"I have, but it's hard to believe and harder to prove. A lot of people in this industry spend their time trying to build up a mythos about themselves, that they built everything from the ground up when in reality, they had it all handed to them. Everyone's rightfully skeptical, because my story sounds a little too Hollywood, a little too good to be true."

"I'd be surprised if you totally believed me right now." He half-smiles, but there's no humor in the expression.

Jongin considers him. As Sehun says, Jongin's heard this kind of story before. Personal branding is far too important for him to take everyone's "I built this from the ground up" stories as genuine.

Maybe he's the world's biggest sucker, but he wants to believe him.

After all, this isn't a story Sehun's given in a speech somewhere, not something dripping with the usual sickly sweet trappings of inspirational speaking. This is private, something that's just for him right now. Even if he isn't the first to hear it, there's very little that Sehun has to gain by telling this to Jongin. He's not press, not anyone influential. He's just himself, and all Sehun seems to want to gain is his respect, his understanding.

He chews at his lower lip, considering his response. He needs to say something, silence isn't enough, not in the face of him describing something so deeply personal. Honesty is best and Jongin can't stomach the thought of lying to Sehun right now.

"Maybe I should be more skeptical, but I believe you." Jongin offers a nervous smile to Sehun.

Sehun exhales, then drapes his arm around Jongin's waist, pulling him closer. He presses his forehead into his shoulder. "Thank you."

Jongin strokes his fingers through his hair slowly. An odd warm feeling gathers in his chest, something blossoming that he can't quite describe.

If he had thought he'd gotten in too deep before, that was nothing compared to now. Sex and all the assorted baggage is nothing compared to this, what he is feeling right now. He is so, so fucked.

As that new panic surfaces, he struggles. In spite of the danger, he likes this. Loves the growing closeness between them, loves talking with Sehun, holding him and being held. He loves all of it too much to stop.

***

Guilt eats at Jongin long into the morning.

Finally, he can stand it no longer. He shifts to face Sehun and runs his hand gently up his arm. "Sehun?"

"Mm...yeah?" Sehun rouses slowly from his slumber. He turns his head towards Jongin and smoothes one strong hand up his back, pulling him flush against him.

"I just-" Jongin's resolve falters quickly. However his tone seems to do more to wake Sehun, sleepiness morphing into worry. He clutches Jongin a little tighter.

Jongin licks his lips. He finds himself unable to meet Sehun's gazed in the half-light of dawn. "I know you're planning to invest in one of the startups from the workshop."

Sehun furrows his brow, perplexed, so Jongin continues. "I don't want you to pick me."

"Why?" Sehun frowns.

"I don't want to get it just because I'm sleeping with you."

Sehun scoffs. "Why would you think that? If I gave it to you, it'd be because you deserved it. I believe in your work, in your vision."

Jongin exhales long and slow. "Okay," he murmurs, "okay." He sinks into Sehun's arms as his fear begins to dissolve, replaced by the growing understanding that everything shared between them is true.


End file.
